Historical Perspective – What Has Lasted Over the Years in the US
Geographic Perspective – The Location of New Year’s Dictates how it is Observed
The United States does not shy away from loud celebrations, and the rest of the world apparently wants to ring in the New Year’s with us! Not only do over a million people gather in New York City’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve, but over a billion people around the world watch the famous “Ball Drop” on television. (Scheiderer, 2008) The tradition of the Ball Drop has been passed down from generation to generation since the first Times Square drop in 1907. (New Year’s – History.com, 1996-2013) And while it is the most known part of the American New Year’s, there is so much more! New Year’s Day is the busiest day of the year for the Disney Parks and the Las Vegas Strip actually shuts down for a party involving hundreds of thousands of people. (Tew, 2002-2013) Along with the numerous world-wide celebrations, one of the ways that states and cities try to make New Year’s a more local observation is found in the fact that,
"Various towns and cities across America have developed their own versions of the Times Square ritual, organizing public drops of items ranging from pickles (Dillsburg, Pennsylvania) to possums (Tallapoosa, Georgia) at midnight on New Year’s Eve."
(New Year’s – History.com, 1996-2013)
This is not only a testament to the cultural differences within the United States, but also a sign that perhaps tradition, even in a silly way, holds some significance over the New Year’s holiday. Still, much like Finland, New Year’s celebrations in the United States still are very much based on the individual as opposed to the entire country.
While dropping everything from pickles to bright lights are part of the New Year’s traditions in the United States, the singing of the song “Auld Lang Syne” cannot be overlooked. In 1929 Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians first performed the song in Times Square and performed it every year as part of the New Year’s ritual though 1976. However, the song and its significance did not die with the band as it continues to be sung around the country come New Year’s. (Tew, 2002-2013) Along with “Auld Lang Syne,” New Year’s in the United States would not be New Year’s for many Americans without drinking, eating, noisemakers, and of course, kisses at midnight! Eating being a big part of the celebrating; in the Southern United States, the “good luck” foods include black-eyed peas and green beans as well as cornbread and “Good Luck Hoppin’ John”, traditional New Year’s foods that actually date back to the Civil War. (Lucky New Year’s Meal, 2013) As families prepare their New Year’s menus, I am sure that most do not realize they are carrying on a truly American tradition in something as simple as a meal. Another American tradition that has been carried on through the years is a “night watch” at Old St. George’s Methodist Church in Philadelphia that started in 1776 when Robert Morris prayed through the entire night of New Year’s for the Continental Army. Every New Year’s Eve since then, people have gathered to pray through the night in the same location. (Historic St. George’s United Methodist Church, 1995-2013)
Geographic Perspective – The Location of New Year’s Dictates how it is Observed
The United States does not shy away from loud celebrations, and the rest of the world apparently wants to ring in the New Year’s with us! Not only do over a million people gather in New York City’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve, but over a billion people around the world watch the famous “Ball Drop” on television. (Scheiderer, 2008) The tradition of the Ball Drop has been passed down from generation to generation since the first Times Square drop in 1907. (New Year’s – History.com, 1996-2013) And while it is the most known part of the American New Year’s, there is so much more! New Year’s Day is the busiest day of the year for the Disney Parks and the Las Vegas Strip actually shuts down for a party involving hundreds of thousands of people. (Tew, 2002-2013) Along with the numerous world-wide celebrations, one of the ways that states and cities try to make New Year’s a more local observation is found in the fact that,
"Various towns and cities across America have developed their own versions of the Times Square ritual, organizing public drops of items ranging from pickles (Dillsburg, Pennsylvania) to possums (Tallapoosa, Georgia) at midnight on New Year’s Eve."
(New Year’s – History.com, 1996-2013)
This is not only a testament to the cultural differences within the United States, but also a sign that perhaps tradition, even in a silly way, holds some significance over the New Year’s holiday. Still, much like Finland, New Year’s celebrations in the United States still are very much based on the individual as opposed to the entire country.
While dropping everything from pickles to bright lights are part of the New Year’s traditions in the United States, the singing of the song “Auld Lang Syne” cannot be overlooked. In 1929 Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians first performed the song in Times Square and performed it every year as part of the New Year’s ritual though 1976. However, the song and its significance did not die with the band as it continues to be sung around the country come New Year’s. (Tew, 2002-2013) Along with “Auld Lang Syne,” New Year’s in the United States would not be New Year’s for many Americans without drinking, eating, noisemakers, and of course, kisses at midnight! Eating being a big part of the celebrating; in the Southern United States, the “good luck” foods include black-eyed peas and green beans as well as cornbread and “Good Luck Hoppin’ John”, traditional New Year’s foods that actually date back to the Civil War. (Lucky New Year’s Meal, 2013) As families prepare their New Year’s menus, I am sure that most do not realize they are carrying on a truly American tradition in something as simple as a meal. Another American tradition that has been carried on through the years is a “night watch” at Old St. George’s Methodist Church in Philadelphia that started in 1776 when Robert Morris prayed through the entire night of New Year’s for the Continental Army. Every New Year’s Eve since then, people have gathered to pray through the night in the same location. (Historic St. George’s United Methodist Church, 1995-2013)